Endless blank-gripping apron conveyer.



M. E. PETERS, G. H. FATH 6: A. F. MILLER.

ENDLESS BLANK (SHIPPING APRON CONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8.19l6.

Patented Oct. 30,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. E. PETERS, G. H. FATH & A. F. MILLER.

ENDLESS BLANK GRIPPING APRON CONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8.1916.

Patented Oct. 30,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M. E. PETERS, G. H. FATH &.A. F. MILLER.

ENDLESS BLANK GRIPPING APRON CONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8. I916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3 Patented Oct 30, 1917.

MELVILLE n. rnrnns, GEORGE H. mm, AND ALBERT r. MILLER, or DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNORS TO THE rn'rnns PATENT RIGHTS COMPANY, or DENVER,

COLORADO, A CORPORATION OF COLORADO.

ENDLESS BLANk GnirrINenrnoN CONVEYER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 031;, 30, 191% Application filed February 8, 1916. Serial No. 76,989.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, MELVILLE E. Pnrnns, Gnonen H. FATH, and ALBERT F. MILLER, citizens of theUnited States of, America, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Endless Blank-Gripping Apron Conveyor, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to animproved endless blank gripping apron conveyer andthe objects of our invention are": I

First. to provide ineansfor gripping and conveying blanks in either a wet or dry condition and for freeing them at a predetermined part of the conveyer from whichthey may be advanced to further treatment. Second, to provide" means including an endless apron conveyor for gripping blanks and conveying them to further treatment; and

Third, to provide a simple blank gripping, conveying and releasing mechanism that is adapted to grip and convey gummed or dry blanks from gumining mechanism or from dryblank feeding mechanism. I

We attain these Objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: r

Figure 1, is a side elevation of a machine equipped with our improved endless blank gripping apron conveyor and mechanism connected therewith 1 Fig. 2, is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3, is a front view of the transmission cylinder, showing in connection therewith one of the bars supportingthe blank grippers and operating mechanism connected therewith.

Figs, is an end view of the'transniission cylinder. the gripper bar and its grippers, and mechanism for holding the grippers open. i V

Fig. 5, is a plan view of a portion of the parts shown in Fig. 4, the cylinder being shown in section.

Fig. 6, is a side view of the blank releasing mechanism, and

7, is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 6. a

Siinilarletters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views;

Referring to the drawings, The numeral 1 designates an endless trav eling conveyor, which is made up of our blank gripping aprons. This endless gripping apron conveyer consists of endless side sprocket wheel chains 2-and the aprons 3 and grippers i and their-operating mecha-' nism.

.Our present invention is especially adapt-, ed to receiving gumnied blanks such as are adapted to be used for covering paste board boxes from a gumming cylinder or drum in the manner illustrated and described in our pending application Serial No. 30471 filed May 1915, for a pneumatically controlled automatically operating blank gum ming and tempering machine, but it is also adapted to grip gummed blanks from any kind, or character of blank gumming mechanism whether a cylinder or cylinders or a flat pressuretype of blank gumming mechanism, or any other type of blank gummer that leaves the blank in such a manner that the apron grippers can grip an edge of it.

Consequently the type or character of it 'byzany blank feeding mechanism. Consequently our invention will grip and convey blanks madeof any material and that are in any'suitable condition as to their surfaces or of any shape suitable to be gripped and conveyed by our blank gripping and conveying apron. Consequentlyveither dry or: wet or blanks gunnned on one side can be fed to our gripper apron and can be conveyed any predetermined distance and be freed andpicked up and advanced to further treatment in box wrapping or covering machines or in printing presses or in cutting and forming presses or machines.

'This endless blank gripper apron traveling conveyor is provided with intermittent driving and stopping mechanism that con trols its traveling movement. The intermittent stop periods of the conveyer only take place to allowthe blanks to be gripped by an air suction mechanism that lifts them of? from the conveyor, which air suction mechanism; we do not illustrate, and the point in this endless conveyers intermittent movement where these stops take place to allow the blanks to be removed from it, constitutes its blank releasing station, and this station is preferably positioned at the rearward end of the traveling movement of the conveyers upper or top portion,but may be positioned at any practical point in 1ts length.

The endless sprocket chains of our end- LGSS conveyer are mounted on three sprocket wheels 5, 6 and 7 which are secured on shafts that are journaled in the side frames of the machine to which our gripper apron is attached. The machine itself, however does not form a part of our invention and is not illustrated. At the blank receiving and gripping end of our gripper apron blank conveyer a cylinder 8 is mounted on the shaft 9. This cylinder we term the transmission cylinder. This transmission cylinder is a hollow cylinder and is provided with a large gap in its peripheral surface which extendsacii'oss it from end to end. This transmission cylinder rotatively supports cooperatively with a pair of sprocket wncels which are mounted on its shaft at the opposite ends of the cylinder, an endless conveyer belt which is provided with cross bars and 11, that are spaced at a'distance apart that is a little greater than the largest size blanks that are to be run through the machine, each cross bar of which enters the gap in this cylinder. The endless conveyer comprises a pair of endless chains 2 mounted on sprocket wheels and cross bars extending across from one chain to the otherand connected to them, and sheets of any suitable material but preferably of a water absorbing fabric, preferably canvas, are secured between the cross bars at close but predetermined distances apart, the'sheets of fabric being larger than the largest blanks the machine will gum. The conveyor also comprises means for picking up at about the longitudinal center of the transmission cylinder which we term its blank receiving station, and conveying in a straight horizontal line over guide rails 12, the blanks while they are resting on the canvas aprons, and carrying them to the rear end turning point of the conveyer, which extends over the sprocket wheels 6, and the blanks are re leased at this turning point by mechanism that opens the blank gripping fingers, and just before the blank gripping fingers are opened the conveyer stops and the blank is then gripped by air suction tubes, and instantly afterward the grippers are opened and the blanks are removed from the conveyer, and the point in the traveling movement of the conveyer where it, stops and the blank is removed'from it we term the blank releasing station. The conveyer is stopped during each revolution of its transmission gummin'gcylinder and of the transmission cylinder, as will be more fully described hereinafter. The supporting members of the conveyer are two block link type of chains Zthat are of even length and are moiuited on the sprocket wheels 5 at its blank receiving end, and on sprocketwheels 6 at its discharge end. These chains are supported and run on guide rails that are secured to the side frames of the machine by bolts 15. Thebottoins of these chains'eXtend downwardly and forwardly from the sprocket wheels 5 and 6 and around sprocket wheels 7 which are mounted in vertically ad justable bearings. which may be of any suit-- able construction, and from: these wheels they extend up over idlef sprocket wheels to the transmission cylinder, ant. its forward end supporting sprocket wheels 5. These two chains are connected together by the cross'bars 10 and 11 of iron or other suitable material, which are provided with" end flanges that are secured to the adjacent sides of the link members of the chain. To the. bar 11 is secured one end of a sheet of water absorbing fabric 3, which may be of'any suitable material. We preferably us howi ever sheets or aprons of canvas wrapped around and sewed or otherwise secured around or to the bar. The bar '10 supports the opposite end of the fabric or canvas apron, which is fastened to it by a cleat' l7 and by screws 18 that extend through the cleat into the bar and clamp the apron'between the cleat'and the bar. On the opposite side of the bar 10 from the belt a rod 19 is journaled in clips 20 that are formed on the side of the bar. One of these clips 20 is providedwith a lug that forms a bearing for a rock arm pawl 21 which engages a ratchet tooth that" is formed on a ratchet wheel 22 that is secured on the rodlQ. This pawl is provided with a side stem 23 that extends through the lug of the clip and on its end a coiled tension spring 2% is placed and is an ranged and adapted to hold the pawl in engaging relation to the ratchet tooth of the wheel 22. The lower end of this rock arm pawl is provided with a roller 25 that is arranged and adapted to engage-a cam 26 that is formed on the end of a fixed l'mk member 27 that is mounted loosely on theshaftt of the cylinder. This cam provided lin'kimemher is bolted at its opposite end from its cam to the adjacent side frame of the machine The rod 19 on t -e" cross barlO of the endless conveyer, is also provided with a plurality action of the roller strikin of finger pickers l. These are secured to the rod to stand with theirflat ends28 directly against, the edge of thecross barlO upon actuated by a coiled spring which is mounted on the rod 19 and-is arranged and adapted to normally hold the pickers under constant resilient tension against the edge of the bar 10. These picker-fingers are locked in theiropen position by thejpawl 21 engaging the ratchet toothof the wheel when the pickers are thrown open, in a ;manner to be presently described, atthe discharging point of each 'blankfron'i the conyeyer. r

When the pickers grip and clamp ablank as their edges are eXposed on a gumming cylinder in cases where a; cylinder is used to gum the blanks, they peel it off in the direction in which it would naturally curl up when first removed from the gumming cylinder, and they are enabled'to do this when both cylinders travel at the same speed'as they should, and their adjacent surfaces'in the same upwarddirection, and consequently although neither thetransmission cylinder, nor the conveyer stops for "the pickers to grip the edge of each blank, the transmission cylinder leads and peels each] blank off of the gumming cylinder, and as the pickers carry each blank up over the transmis sion cylinder, it lays each blank out flat on the adjacent canvas apron, which when tempered blanks are required is moistened with water and which, as it is conveyed along, moistens itto a limpid or as it is termed a tempered condition, whichrmeans that both sides of the'blan'k are in the same moistened condition and that the blank will not curl up in e1the "direct1on, but will remain in a flat'straightened out posit on.-

In orderto prevent the chains of the conveyer belbfrom, jumping 0d from the sprocket wheels when the roller 25 strikes against the cam -26 as the chains travel along, and the picking fingers" are freed by the pawl 21 and strike violently the bar 10 as they grip the edge of each blank, which g the. cam and of the picker fingers striking the bar takes place almost simultaneously, we provide a pair of guide plates 30, placing them on ope posite sidesof the machine, and arranging them to register close to the edge. of the sprocket wheels 5 so as toprevent the chains from jumping off from the teeth thereof.

In order however that the picker fingers shall be positively actuated to fly open to release blanks at the discharge'end'of. the conveyer, a segment toothed lever is arranged to be moved to partially rotate a segment gear 31 on the rod-19 of the bar 10 quickly, in each cycle movement of the transmission cylinder. The segment toothed lever is driven from a shaft" 32 of the ma chine to which our gripper apron conveyer is attached. 7 wheel 33 is mounted on a shaft 3 of the machine upon'whic-h a sprocket chain S lis For this purpose a sprocket.

mounted that extends to and drives a sprocket wheel 35 that is mounted on the shaft 32 that is journaled in bearings ,secured on the side frames A and B.

Upon the shaft- 32 a cam 36 is mounted,

'which engages aroller 37 that is mounted on one end of'a rock arm 38, the opposite end of which is connected "to one end of a connecting rod 39. This rock arm 38' is pivotally connected intermediate of its ends to the side frame A by a bolt e0; The opposite end of the connecting rodis pivotally' connected to one end of a rock arm 41, the

hub portion ofwhich is mounted on a stud 4'2 that is secured to the adjacent side pin The opposite end frame of the machine.

of the rock arm is pivotally connected to one end of a link the opposite end of which is pivotally secured to a segment toothed lever 44. Consequently the shaft 3 of the machine drives through the medium of the chain 3%, the cam 36, the rock arm 38, connecting rod 39, the rock arm all, and

the link 43, the segment toothed lever 44,

and'the segment gear 31, on the rod 19, to open the finger pickers and release each blank, and just prior to this the conveyer and the transmission cylinder are stopped through the engagement of the blank toothed portions 45 and 46 of the spur gears 13 and 1% 'respectively, which come together and stop the transmission cylinder for a few seconds, while the blank on the apron at the releasing station of the conveyer is gripped and lifted and removed by air suction blank advancing tubes. or any other mechanism.

Each one of the fabric aprons or panels or sheets of canvas of the convcyer belt is M positioned separately and independentof the others, and they are positioned at such a relative distance apart as will allow them tomeet and receiye each blank as it is grabbed by the picker fingers, and each one of thesesheets of canvas is moistened by water in some form as it travels along the under side portion of the conveyor, in case it is desiredto temper the under' side of gummed blanks, here dryblanlzs are fed to our gripper apron it is not necessary to temper them, but where gummedblanks are used we deem it essential that they be tempered. I v

There are a number of ways in which water in some form can be imparted to each tion in the following manner:

Between the sidefram'es we place and" support a dishl' by any suitable means, and in the dish we place a wick 48, which is arranged to extend over the edge. of the dish and'to bear against the surface of the transmission cylinder, and the capillary and absorbent action of the water on the wick feeds the water through the wick to its outsidelooped end which feeds off from the wickonto the surface of the cylinder and keeps its surface wet, as a wick should be used that is wide enough tokeep enough of the surface of the transmission cylinder wet to moisten the full width of the canvas, or at leastenough of it to moisten the full width of the size of blanks being 'run through the machine.

Then as the conveyor belt travels rotatively along each fabric or canvas panel when it reaches the transmission cylinder and travels around it is wrapped tightly against its.circumferential surface, and is.

thus moistened on its under side from that on which it receives the blanks from the gumming cylinder, and each blank as it is grabbed by the finger pickers is peeled off ofrthe gumming cylinder and is rolled out fiat against the moistened surface of a moistened canvas panel. Consequently by the time each blank reaches the end of its rearward travel, it is in a flat limpid tempered condition.

it is necessary that a mechanism be employed for cleaning orwiping 0d the blank engaging faces of the blank gripping finger pickers, between each of their blank gripping, carrying and releasing operations when they are engaging the gummed surface of blanks, and we preferably carry out this feature of our invention as follows:

A plurality of arms 49 are mounted on a rock shaft 50 which is journaled in adjustable frames 51 on the ends of a receptacle or box 52. The free ends of these arms are provided with flexible pads or wipers 53 which normally are in contact with cleansing liquid contained in the receptacle 52. The

rock shaft is equipped at one end with a crank arm 5% which is slidably connected with one end of a rod 55, whose opposite end is. connected with the inner end of a lever 56, which is fulcrumed intermediate of itsends to the frame. This lever is actuated to swing the wipers into operative position by means of a spring 57, one end of which is connected with the inner end' of the lever, while its opposite end is connected with the adjacent side frame, as shown. The outer end of the lever 56, carries a roller 58, which is engaged by a cam disk 59, on the driving shaft 3 This disk has a cam face 60, which engages the roller 58 at a predetermined time or after each momentary pause of the conveyer, and thereby rocks the lever 56, by which the rod 55 imparts an upward movement to the lever 54, which rocks the'shaft 50 by which the arms 49 are submerged in the water in the receptacle 52. However, when performing the finger-cleansing function,.the cam projection 60 of the cam disk 59 releases the antifrictional roller 58 carried by the lever 56, and the spring57 actuates the said lever to cause the rod 55 to move in the direction of the arrow (see Fig. 1), whereby the flexible cleansing, extremities of the wiper arms are brought into wiping contact with the gripping surfaces of the fingers i of one set of gripping mechanism, which cleanses the blank engaging faces of the lingers of their gummed or sticky condition. As soon as this has occurred, the cam projection of the cam wheel 59 moves into engagementwith the roller 58 of the lever 56 and rocks the same to move the rod in thedirection opposite that indicated bythe arrow, which returns the arms 49 to their normal positioinwhereby their flexible members 53 are again returned to the cleansing liquid in the pan. This cleansing operation of the fingers takes place during the stop period inthe travel of the conveyer.

There are a number of ways in which water can be applied to the under side of the canvas aprons and this tempering fea ture does not form a part of the present invention, which is confined to theblank gripper apron endless conveyor. r

In operation blanks either with a gummed or ungummed surface are fed toour gripper aprons transmission cylinder by suitable mechanism and they are gripped by the picker fingers and as they are carried up over the transmission cylinder they are laid out fiat against the top surface of the apron of the grippers that hold them and they are conveyed to their releasing station by an intermittent traveling movement which may be imparted to the conveyor by'any suitable mechanism, and when the conveyer stops at its blank releasing station the blank is released from the picker fingers and is picked up and forwarded for further treatment to the machine for which it is intended.

Our invention provides a simple and reliable blank gripper apron conveyer, and while we have illustrated'the preferred construction and arrangement of it we do not wish to be limited to the construction and arrangement shown and described, as many changes might be-made without departing from the spirit of our invention,

Having described our invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a blank gripping apron convey'er, the combination with an intermittently traveling movement canvas apron conveyor arranged to receive each blank upon each apron during its traveling movement, each apron of said conveyer being provided with a transverse row of cam and spring controlled blank gripping fingers, means including cam and toothed segments for releasing the gripping fingers from the blanks during the stopped period of the conveyer, means including gearing for intermittently moving said, conveyer, and means including a cam actuated pawl for releasing saidgrippers to grip a blank at a predetermined point in said Iconveyers intermittent travel ns m emen i 2, In a blank gripping apron conveyer for blank gumming mechanism, the combination of an endless traveling. apron conveyer arranged to receive the upon its aprons from a blank gumming mechanism, each apron ofsaid conveyer being equipped With a number. of sets of gripping deviccS adapted to respectively and successively engage the blanks to facilitate their removal icm e s min mec i m; 1 e of blank rippe s comp in sp n -a u and li angled -fiat-sn d s rri fin e s mounted thereon and adapted to clamp each blank a n t a rea b i bf W1 apr n, means including ,cain actuated toothed seg' ments for moving said grippers to release each blank, means including a spring actuated pawl for locking the said blank grippiesfins t n t r o e P i n, m n including a cam for releasing saidfingers a to cause-them togrip a blank at the gumningmechanism,jancl means for automatically unlocking the fingers to release the blanks. i I i 3. Ina blank grippingapron conveyer, the combination of an endlesscanvas traveling conveyer providedwith a hollow supporting and transmission cylinder at its blank receiving, end, saidtransmissioncylinder being provided with a gaptransversely of its length through its surface into its interior, arranged toreceivethe severalportion's o f th e lconveyer as ittravels around it, each canvas apron of said conveyer being equipped with a transverse ,rowgof fiatflended spring and cam 1 actuated gripping fingers adapt- ,ed to respectively and successively engage theblanks when in the gapof saidtransmission cylinder, means including a cam' actuated,pawl for releasing each row ,ofsaid fingers to: grip a blank, and means including cam actuated lever and toothed segment members for movingeachlrow ofifingers to release each blanklfrom each apron when said gripping devices are in thegap of the transmissioncylinder.

' at. In a blankgripping apron conveyer the combination with the conveyer comprising separated and independent ,fabric aprons, e ach apron being supported saidconveyer by cross bars and the hollow gappjed transmission cylinderjof the spring and cam actuated blank, gripping devices 1 attached Q to h rrsi fcqmrrisie a ems hari e ies actuated rod mounted on said bar, gripping fingers mounted on said rod,'said gripping fingers comprising an angled end arranged to grip each blank against a cross bar of each apron, a ratchet and pawl on said rod for locking the rod to hold the' fingers in their open position, and a stationary cam arrangedin the path of the pawls ofthe several sets or devices adjacent to said transmission cylinder for releasing said fingers to grip a blank at the gap of said gumming cylinder, and means including toothed seg ments for openings the gripping devices for releasing said blank at a predetermined point in the travel of said conveyer.

5, The combination in a blank gripping apron conveyer' of an endless traveling conveyer arranged to receive the blanks from a blank feeding or a blank gumming cylinder, said conveye'r being equipped with cross bars, canvas aprons'between said cross bars, number of sets of gripping devices adapted" to respectively and successively engage the blanks to facilitate their removal from the cylinder, each set of devices including a spring actuated rod attached to said cross bars, "gripping fingers mounted on said rod, ratchetfw'he'el mounted on said rod, a pawl arranged to lock said rod to hold the fingers in open position, a stationary camarranged in the path of the pawls of the several sets offdevioes for unlocking said fingers whereby said spr ng causes said fingers to fly over and grip a blank against its cross bar, and means for automatically returning the rod to raise the fingers to release said blank from said cross bar, a shaft on which said car lj lr aprons are supported" at one encl,n1eans for supporting said conveyer at its opposite end, a, transmission cylinder mountedon said shaft having a gap in which said bars and grippers fit and rotate with said cylinder, and means including mutilated gearing by which said rod transmission cylinder and said conveyer rotate in unison with 'saidblank feeding or with Y said gumming cylinder to rem th blanks therefrom} I i l j 6. The combination in ablank gripping intermittently traveling'or endless apron conveyer, provided with a transmission cylinder arranged to receive blanks, said conveyer being equipped with a plurality of cross barshavmg panels or aprons between them of any suitable material, aplurality offsets of grippingdevices mounted on each alte'rnate cross bar, adapted to respectively and successively engage the blanks at the blank feeding'means, each set of devices including aspringactuated rocking rod, blank gripping fingers mounted thereon arranged to grip the blanks againsttheir respective cross 'bar a ratchet and pawl for locking ithelrod to'hold thefingers in their openpov sition, stationary cam arranged in the path of the pawls of the several sets of de-, vices for unlocking purposes, means for antomatically turning the rocking rod to open the fingers to release the blanks, said means includinga pinion fast on the rod, gear teeth mounted on a reciprocating lever arranged to be engaged by the pinion, means for actuating the gear teeth at properly timed intervals to impart the necessary movement to the spindle, said last named means including a cam actuated rock arm and lever mechanism, said transmission cylinder having a gap in which said cross bars and fingers fit and rotate with said cylinder, said conveyer and its cylinder being arranged to rotate with an intermittent move ment so timed that they stop and grip the blanks at the feeding means and feed them onto the canvas aprons as they feed around said transmission cylinder.

7 The combination of a blank gripping apron conveyer with, an operative blank feeding means, said conveyorcomprising a transmission gapped cylinder arranged to receive the blanks from said feeding means in the gap of the transmission cylinder, said conveyer being equipped with blank gripping Vmeans for automatically and successively actuating the gripping mechanism to release the blanks at a predetermined point in the travel of the conveyer, said means including a reciprocating lever having a toothed segment at its free end, a segment of a pinion on the gripping mechanism, a link connection atone end of said toothed segment, a rock armconnected at one end to said link and at its opposite end to a connecting rod, 3, rock arm connected at one end to said connecting rod, and a cam engaging the opposite end of said rock arm.

8. In a blank gripping apron endless conveyer, the combination of a supporting frame, sprocket wheels mounted on said frame, a conveyer having a blank receiving station and a blank releasing station, said conveyer comprising a pair of side chains mounted on said sprocket wheels, cross bars extending in pairs transversely across said chains and arranged to support a fabric panel or canvas apron between each pair of area enough to receive and support the largest size blanks the machine will gum, a transmission cylinder at the blank receiving end of said conveyer concentric to its adjacent sprocket wheels, said cylinder being provided with a gap in which said cross bars fit and rotate with said cylinder, means for gripping and holding blanks on each apron at the gap of the cylinder, and means for releasing the blanks at the discharging station of the conveyer.

9. In a blank gripping apron conveyer,

the combination, of a supporting frame,

sprocket wheels mounted on said frame, a conveyer having a blank receiving station intense and a blank releasing station, said conveyer comprising a pair of side chains mounted on said sprocket wheels, cross bars extending in pairs transversely across said chains and arranged to support a fabric panel or 4 canvas apron between each pair of bars, a transmission cylinder at the blank receiiu'ng end of said conveyer concentric to its adja cent sprocket wheels, said cylinder being provided with a gap in which said cross bars fit and rotate with said cylinder,means for gripping and holding blanks on each apron at the gap of the cylinder, and means for releasing the blanks at the discharging station of the conveyer. r

10. In a blank gripping'apron conveyer, the combination, of a conveyer, the cross bars and canvas aprons on said conveyer, a shaft having a partial rctativ'e movement mounted on said cross bars, a canvas apron secured to said cross bars, blank finger pickers mounted on said shaft and spring controlled to resiliently sprin'gagainst and grip the advancing edgeof a blank,a pawl controlled ratchet wheel mounted on said shaft and arranged to lock saidfingers in an open position, means including, a cam positioned adjacent to said gapped; cylinder for trippingthe pawl to allow the fingers to spring forward and grip the advancing edge of a blank against its supporting cross bar, and means including gearing and cam controlled mechanism for releasing each blank from its finger pickers'at the discharge end of the conveyer,

411; In a blank gripping apron conveyer,

the combination with any suitable blank gummmg means, of the endless traveling fabric apron conveyor, the blank gripping devices extending transversely across the conveyer, means including a cooperating cam and spring mechanism for operating the grippers to grip the blanks against the aprons, means including toothed segments for releasing the gripping devices'from the blanks during the operation of the conveyer, and means including mutilated gearin for automatically stopping the travel of the conveyor during the gripping and releasing periods. V.

12. In a blank gripping apron'conveyer for gumming machines,'blank feeding and gumming mechanism in combination with means for tempering the blanks and conveying them from the gumming mechanism, said tempering and conveying means comprising an endless conveyer traveling by a blank gripping station and a blank releasmg station and provided with a plurality of canvas aprons spaced a predetermined distance apart between cross bars and arranged to receive each blank from the gummmg mechanism, said endless conveyer havmg a cooperating transmission cylinder pro-. vided with a'gap and onto and against the peripheral surface of which the aprons roll as said cylinder and conveyer rotate together, each of said aprons being provided with a set of blank gripping finger pickers adapted to grip each blank as it leaves the gumming mechanism, said blank gripper being arranged to fit onto the gap of said cylinder and rotate with it and to grip the blanks when in the gap of said cylinder, and I means including a wet member for impart,

ing a moisture temper to the dry side of the blanks as they rest on said aprons, whereby Copies of this patent may be obtained for said canvas aprons are saturated with Water as they feed onto the peripheral surface of said transmission cylinder.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

MELVILLE E. PETERS. GEORGE H. FATH. ALBERT F. MILLER.

Witnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ELIZABETH SMITH.

five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

